Category: Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (2-2) came back from a three-run deficit in the third inning to win the first game of the series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (2-2) with a score of 6-4 late Tuesday evening.

The first inning was a pitcher’s duel, but the RedHawks were the first to break the tie in the top of the second inning all thanks to a big fly from John Silviano (1-0). Sam Dexter tacked on one more run a few batters later with a scorching single (2-0).

Kansas City had trailed at one point in three out of the first four games, so this early deficit did not rattle the Monarchs.

Veteran Darnell Sweeney stepped up to the plate and sent his first home run of the season out to the “home run patio” in left field, bringing his team to within one (3-2).

Two innings later, David Thompson played copycat by launching another Monarch home run to the patio to tie the game (3-3).

Both pitchers tossed a clean inning in the fourth, this inning being the last for Jon Harris. Harris finished his first career start as a Monarch with 4 innings pitched, three hits, three runs, three bases on balls and three strikeouts.

His counterpart, Ryan Flores, fanned six Kansas City hitters, and did not allow any free passes. Flores exited after five innings pitched, three hits and three runs.

C.J. Carter served as the first man in relief for starter Jon Harris. Carter made his first appearance for the club and battled adversity. After surrendering a double and two walks, the bases were loaded for the RedHawks. Carter refocused and dialed it in by getting two flyouts, and a ground ball to the first baseman to escape the jam.

The sixth inning is where the Monarchs made their move. Manager Joe Calfapietra’s lineup rallied to put up three runs off a double from Gabby Guerrero and a single by Matt Adams (6-3).

The RedHawks made a run at a comeback, but came up short due to the stout bullpen of the Monarchs. Fargo got its fourth run of the game in the eighth inning from a Peter Maris double (6-4). After that the pitching for Kansas City tightened down to close out the game.

Jameson McGrane came in to work the final inning to earn his first save of the year. The right-hander faced four batters, only one reaching by way of error.

Game two against Fargo-Moorhead is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

• Story from Monarchs

by Jaxson Webb, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (1-2) fell in its first two games of the 2022 season, but got back on track Sunday afternoon with an impressive 10-3 victory over the visiting Sioux City Explorers (2-1).

The Monarchs offense exploded late to solidify the win.

Left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe made his Monarchs debut. The Fort Myers, Florida, product stayed aggressive in the strike zone through all 4.2 innings, but gave up a few hits and runs along the way.

The Kansas City Monarchs struggled offensively in the first two games, but were able to strike first in the second inning of the weekend finale.

Matt Adams, former 10 year big leaguer and World Series champion, blasted his first home run of the season to open the scoring (1-0). Moments later Jan Hernandez was driven in by a line drive single from David Thompson (2-0).

The Explorers were quick to answer, though as they scratched three runs across in top of the third inning with two doubles and a single (2-3).

Thorpe exited after 4 ⅔ innings, surrendering four hits, three runs, three walks, and struck out four Explorers. He was replaced by Kansas native, Brock Gilliam.

Things remained the same until Jan Hernandez came up big in the sixth. Hernandez’s ground ball single up the middle drove in Guerrero to tie the game at 3-3. From that point on it was all Monarchs.

The Kansas City offense rattled off eight runs between the sixth and eighth to cruise to a commanding 10-3 victory.

Six players for the Monarchs recorded a double, and Matt Adams hit the second home run by the team of the season. Jan Hernandez, Darnell Sweeney, and David Thompson all recorded multi-hit games as well.

Joe Calfapietra called Jameson McGrane out of the Swope Health Bullpen to come in and close out the final inning. McGrane was also the closing pitcher for the 2021 American Association Championship game a season ago.

McGrane made quick work of three Sioux City hitters, striking out one, helping the Monarchs get that first taste of victory this season.

The next Monarchs game will be Tuesday, May 18, at Legends Field against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a rematch of last year’s American Association Championship.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

by Kaitlyn Sanders, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs got off to a solid start on Saturday night taking a 2-0 lead after two innings, but the Sioux City Explores dialed up a pair of third inning long balls on the way to a 4-2 win over the Monarchs.

The Monarchs (0-2) picked up an early run in the home half of the first inning on a wild pitch from Explorers starter Tyler Beardsley scoring Pete Kozma to take the 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, catcher J.C. Escarra hit the first Kansas City homer of the season, launching a solo shot to right field to make it 2-0 in favor of the Monarchs.

Sioux City (2-0) did not stay down for long as former Monarch Nick Franklin hit a two-run home run tying the game at two.

A batter later, Nate Samson hit a home run of his own, taking a 3-2 lead in the third off Kansas City starter Akeem Bostick.

Sioux City picked up a Samson sacrifice fly in the seventh to give the club a 4-2 cushion, but the Monarchs had chances all night, stranding 12 batters in the loss.

The final chance came in the bottom of the ninth, when Gabby Guerrero drove a two out triple to right center and Matt Adams drew a walk off closer Thomas McIlraith, to put runners at the corners. MtcIlraith then struck out Jan Hernandez on a full count to end the ball game.

Both teams got solid starting pitching for the second straight night. Tyler Beardsley (1-0) picked up the win working 5.1 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk for the X’s.

The Monarchs once again had a hard luck loss as Akeem Bostick (0-1) tossed five innings, surrendering three runs on six hits, and adding three strikeouts.

The Explorers took a 2-0 lead over the Monarchs in the first series of the season while Kansas City will look to prevent a sweep of the series with game three against Sioux City at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe will make his Monarchs debut while right-handed pitcher Carlos Sierra will pitch for Sioux City. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. with the gates opening at 1 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 2:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.